I think it would be very good to have bike lanes more separated from the road. Safer for everyone that cars don't accidentally use bike lanes and bikes don't affect traffic. It reminds me of those articles that said j-walking is more safe than crossing at crosswalks. Paying attention is something people seem to have trouble with. Clear markings are definitely for the best.
The cheap type fulfil a requirement to create bike lanes, without any of the "inconvenience" of actually having people use them. They're common in Britain, where the national government talks about cycling, tells local government to implement it, but doesn't require a minimum standard.
Riding in that second bike lane would be of questionable legality here in Germany. Cyclist are required to stay far enough away from parked cars that open doors don't hit them, otherwise they bear part of the responsibility in an accident. OTOH you're also required to use bike lanes if they exist, so...
You're required to use bike lanes within city limits when there's Zeichen 237, Zeichen 240, or Zeichen 241. Otherwise you're free to use the road. Any other sign even if it has a bike symbol on it, does not mandate the use of a specific path.
But indeed, Schutzstreifen next to parked cars often have the problem that you either have to veer into traffic (or traffic veers into you), or get doored (I don't recall that it's mandatory to keep your distance to parked cars, though, it's just in your own best interest). Even though motorists are required to keep 1.5 m distance to you there, very few do, since apparently the dashed line implies that you're safe enough from them ...
I'd say 40 cm is not enough. It may suffice for those who open the door a tiny bit and then look whether a cyclist is approaching, but those aren't the problematic kind; rather those who just open the door fully without checking anything, ruining either a cyclist's face, or a car's mirror.
